Traduire / Traduzir

Thursday, 26 April 2012

English:
An international court has delivered its verdict on Liberian ex-president Charles Taylor, finding him guilty of arming Sierra Leone's rebels who paid him in "blood diamonds". The three judges at a special United Nations court pronounced him guilty of aiding and abetting 11 counts of war crimes or crimes against humanity. But he was acquitted of criminal responsibility and "joint enterpise" on the same 11 charges. His sentence will not be delivered for several months. - BeeAfrican

The court, set up jointly by the Sierra Leone government and the United Nations, has already convicted eight Sierra Leoneans of war crimes and jailed them for between 15 and 52 years after trials in Freetown. This court process was backed by the United Nations from the start until the prosecution.

Taylor, 64, is accused of helping Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels wage a terror campaign during a civil war that claimed 120,000 lives between 1991 and 2001. The trial, which saw model Naomi Campbell testify she had received diamonds from the flamboyant Taylor, wrapped up in March 2011. If found guilty, Taylor could be sentenced in four to six weeks.

Charles Taylor pleaded not guilty to 11 counts, dismissing the allegations as "lies" and claiming to be the victim of a plot by "powerful countries."

The media blew up the story with the involvement of Naomi Campbell, but after failing to receive support in Sierra Leone over the courts attempt to prosecute Charles Taylor the story and press coverage went silent, until recently when he was flow to the Netherlands for the final verdict. We have not researched enough to give a full view and perspective of Charles intent, action, and activates during the war in Sierra Leone, neither do we know the true objectives of the rebels, however it is always questionable with a the United Nations makes decisions of who is a criminal and not a criminal in Africa. And with Charles verses the UN, we are unsure we would get a clear and precise perspective on his claims in the media.

All we know is Sierra Leone's most famoust blogger, Vickie Remoe, posted this on her facebook, "Mi fambul dem oona Good Morning. Charles Taylor is guilty does it matter to you? I left Sierra Leone as a refugee when I was 12 years old, and sleeping on the floors of the embassy in Guinea I didn't really understand what was going on. Now that I do I dont blame Charles Taylor nor do I feel any sense that justice has been served. Do you?" So the question is when will Africa's presidents be on the side of independence?